A social club which has spent more than a century at the heart of the community could be knocked down to make way for flats.
Kearsley Social Club in Manchester Road could be demolished to make way for an apartment block with 24 flats in its place.
The rest of the land will be used for a car park, with 21 spaces for resident parking.
The developers, Watson Homes, has put in a planning application outlining its proposals, and has confirmed the flats would be affordable and run by social housing operator Bolton at Home if successful.
The company says these are the kinds of houses 'most-needed by Kearsley residents'.
But residents have been left disappointed, saying that the club has a vital place in the community. Built in 1892, they also fear that a key piece of Kearsley history will be lost if the building were to be knocked down.
The club's manager was one of those who said he would be sad to see the place go, but admitted the venue has been struggling to attract customers.
The manager, who wished not to be named, has been coming to the club since the 1990s. He said: "If I could keep it open, I would. It used to be the social club for the mill next door.
"It has been talked about on and off for years. A lot of people will miss it, but I don't think there are enough people that come in to keep it open.
"The best part of it is the garden where you can put up bouncy castles for the kids and parents can keep them safe and they will be off the road."
The manager also said that the cost of repairs have climbed over the years.
He said: "It's sad and it's a pity - I would love it to stay open but there are a lot of repairs - it needs a new roof and there are cracks in walls. The whole building is built over a former mine shaft so some seats have dipped by just under an inch."
Kearsley councillor Paul Heslop says that residents have 'an ongoing dialogue with the owner'.
He said: "People do not want to see it go, it would be a real loss to the community. Key people active within Kearsley Social Club aim to enter into discussions with the owner.
"Practically everything has gone from Kearsley. If there is more housing, there will be no community facilities for people to go to because the very places have been sold for housing. There will be no socialising."
It is unknown how long the club will stay open, the Manchester Evening News understands, but there are summer events already in the club's calendar.
The developer's plans include a mix of five two-bedroom flats and 19 one-bedroom flats.
The director of Watson Homes, Rob Watson, said: “We recognise that there are some concerns from people in the local area about the loss of Kearsley Social Club. However, we believe our plans for the site will greatly benefit the community.
“Working with Bolton at Home, we aim to build 24 new affordable homes, available to rent by people on the housing association’s current waiting lists.
“Our development will see the existing building demolished to make way for a three-storey apartment block of one and two-bedroom apartments, which is designed to fit in with nearby properties.
“We’ve carefully considered every aspect of our plans to provide the homes most-needed by Kearsley residents – individuals, small families or elderly people who require affordable homes for rent.
“Housing affordability remains a big issue locally, so we’ve worked closely with all of our partners to tackle it head on.”
The plans are now set to be discussed by Bolton Council's planning committee.
The owner of Kearsley Social Club has been contacted for comment.
